Archive for the Scott Adkins Category

I had no idea this film was in production, so Shame. On. Me. However, we have been blessed with a trailer and hot damn does this look great! A Undisputed 2 rematch between Adkins and White? Amy Johnston vs. Adkins (she’s moving on up!). This is mana from heaven, folks, and I intend to be there eyes glued and popcorn ready! Here it is:

Does that not look badass? I just said “Hell Yeah!” as I watched this ten times. This film kicks its way right to your TV on February 6th, 2018! Here’s hoping we get a limited theater release beforehand! Make it happen Sony!

Savage Dog is a period film set shortly after the French Indochina War in 1959 tells the story of Martin Tillman, an Irishman and displaced soldier, spending his days as a prisoner of Von Steiner, a sadistic jailer who pits Tillman into a series of martial arts fights with various opponents for money. When not fighting, Tillman spends his time in prison being visited by a local flower girl, Isabelle(Chan). When pressured by a British government official, Steiner releases Tillman, but since Tillman is still a wanted man, he chooses to hide out at a local bar run by Valentine(David) and also the home of the flower girl, where a romance blossoms, but as it happens in action films, Steiner brings Tillman back, but when Steiner and his henchmen go after his love, Tillman goes on a rampage to ensure Steiner never bothers anyone ever again…

It’s nice to see Scott Adkins and Marko Zaror leave their comfort zones and do a period film, and the production values looked great on what had to be a small budget. The story is well done, with, for a change, the villain Steiner being a more well rounded character, with his own motivations, and surprisingly, regrets. Scott Adkins is good here, but, from an acting standpoint, isn’t much of a stretch from most of the characters he plays. The same goes for Marko Zaror, but he is actually a more chilling villain here than in his other bad guy roles. He’s a real bastard here, and I want to see more of him in this mode. Keith David is KEITH MOTHERFU&@!ing DAVID! He’s the spice that makes ANY film better, and he brings his patented coolness here as both the star and narrator. He’s so cool he gets to dispense with a solid rule of cinema that isn’t supposed to be broken. But he can do that, ’cause he’s Keith Motherf&%^!ing David. Cung Le is okay here, but his character gets to real development until his final lines in his fight with Adkins. It made me wish the film had done more than mention his viscous general’s backstory.

The fights here…Let’s get to that.

I’m not gonna lie, it’s brutal. Like they watched the The Raid 2and said “Hold my beer.”

The blood flows like a river in this film, and I have to admit I’ve never seen the like. You know, like watching a guy get shot with a shotgun in the face point blank. Twice. Or even what Scott Adkins does to Marko Zaror at the end…I can safely say I’ve never seen an action star at ANY level do what he does! It was shocking, but really hearkens back to the title of the film.

The fights are technically well done toward the beginning, but with the exception of a quick fight with stuntman/actor David No, I was really marking time until we get to the main event: Scott Adkins versus Cung Le and Marko Zaror. The Cung Le fight is short, but Le acquits himself well here as the choreography matches his strengths as a martial artist but not at the expense of having Adkins take the petal off the gas, so to speak. It’s a good fight that’s only marred by how cheaply the film ends it, but now we come to the true event, the Undisputed 3rematch between Adkins and Zaror, and it’s great. First with weapons, both men show why they are awesome, moving fast but their movements are precise, and that knife Marko had…I would NOT want to get stabbed with that sucker. But then the weapons go away.

And then it gets REAL.

The director knows what you want. The fight choreographer knows what you want. Scott Adkins and Marko Zaror sure as HELL know what you want. And they made sure you get it! The fight is everything I was wanting it to be. So help me they put on a clinic in beautiful kicking of every kind. And the music with the furious violin playing during it? Holy hell they hit the sweet spot. The fist work was well done, and the fight lasted exactly as long as it needed to given the story and characters.

Bravo, Jesse V Johnson. Bravo. Now do it again!

Kiai-Kick’s Grade: 8.5

One of Scott Adkins’ best films. Marko Zaror establishes himself as a great villain, and Keith David does Keith David things. Bring on the sequel!

Damn! Scott Adkins looking his actiony best, Marko Zaror looking properly villianous, JuJu Chan looking great, and Keith David, is, well, Keith Friggin’ David! I’m watching the film this week, and my review will be out over this weekend, so I can’t wait! What did you think? Let me know in the comments below! This month may need to be called Scott Adkins Month! I’m down with that! Scott is without a doubt the best martial arts action hero in cinema right now, and we need him to get an A list film. C’mon John Wick guys! Make a franchise film series for Scott!

Oh yeah. This is my jam! Scott Adkins in a period piece? Yes! Scott Adkins and Marko Zaror in a Undisputed rematch! Yes! One of them vs. Cung Le? Yes! Keith David? Oh hell yes! I don’t know much about fight choreographer Luke LaFontaine, but here’s hoping he brings the goods. I have a few worries about martial arts films in 2017, but this makes me optimistic. Check out the trailer below, and let me know what you think! By the way, Keith David makes anything better.

Not even internet pirates can keep Boyka down, and finally, FINALLY we have the trailer for the long-awaited Undisputed 4 ( No more numerals! Now it’s just Boyka!) It looks as if Scott Adkins and Isaac Florentine are going to bring us the best Boyka yet! This looks fantastic, seeing Boyka fight in both the real world and in the ring. Check out the trailer below. Then watch it again. And again. The most complete fighter in the world is back. As the song says, ‘There Can Only Be One King!’

Scott Adkins has to be one of the best martial arts actors in the last 10-20 years to NOT get a real shot at an A-list film. And no, The Expendables doesn’t count. So many of us like-minded folks have been waiting for Scott to get a Steven Seagal/JCVD film with those budgets and worldwide releases, but alas it may never be, simply due to entertainment today. I’ve come to grips with this, and will enjoy the hell out of whatever he puts out, particularly if Isaac Florentine is behind the camera. More than most directors at his level, he truly understands what martial arts should look like onscreen. While many of us are waiting with baited breath for Undisputed 4: Boyka Kicks More Ass* Florentine and Adkins bring us a modern day man-with-no-name western: Close Range.

Scott Adkins plays Colt Macready, an ex-soldier who is on the run for criminal acts committed while on a mission he didn’t agree with. Now a mercenary, the film opens where many films end, with Colt saving his sister’s daughter from an Mexican drug cartel, and killing a lot of men in the process, but in doing so takes something far more valuable to drug lord Fernando Garcia (Perez). Colt takes his niece back to her mother but their victory is short lived as the local law enforcement led by Sheriff Calloway, who is in the pocket of Garcia, tries to arrest Colt, and it is there that all hell breaks loose as Colt must avoid the police and Garcia and his men, who arrive to end Colt and his family once and for all…

The story here is pretty basic, but very cool in the way the film begins. It does have a western feel to it, and Florentine stretches his directing muscles a bit, with camera angles and a style that does—in a small way— evoke westerns of old. Adkins is okay here, but I had a hard time liking his character, nor that of his family. I wish the film had stopped to expand the characters through their actions. So much of their characters are told in exposition, it was hard to really get into them. The look of the film is spot on, and should be as they didn’t use much of the budget for locations, as the majority of the film takes place on his family’s ranch.

Yes, this scene is as silly as it looks. Still cool, though!

The fights are damn good here, featuring some of Adkins’ best, especially his fight with Reina (Dill) and his end fight with Jimmy Chhiu, which gets to showcase some rare knife fighting from Adkins and some really fast-paced fighting, which are all choreographed expertly by Marinas. I was always looking forward to the next fight, and was never bored as the dynamics of each fight change. Groundbreaking? No, but very, very entertaining to watch.

I would not mind seeing Colt Macready in a sequel film!

Kiai-Kick’s Grade: 8

A solid actioner that further cements Adkins as one of today’s best martial arts action stars!